Wake Up Everybody

Wake up everybody no more sleepin in bed
No more backward thinkin time for thinkin ahead
The world has changed so very much
From what it used to be so
there is so much hatred war an' poverty
Wake up all the teachers time to teach a new way
Maybe then they'll listen to whatcha have to say
Cause they're the ones who's coming up and the world is in their hands
when you teach the children teach em the very best you can[i].

            As I was driving to work this morning, thinking about what the topic of this week’s blog would be, this song was playing on my radio.  Most of the time I will sing along in my best impression of Teddy Pendergrass, however today, the lyrics resonated with the problems plaguing education.

            I find it very interesting the first topic the song addressed was education.  Of all the topics that could have been addressed; politics, employment, etc, education, specifically teachers was the first topic to “wake up.” 

            I also find it very interesting that teachers were singled out.  Why didn’t the song single out principals, superintendents, legislators or parents? Why teachers?  Is it possible teachers were singled out because teachers are one of the most influential adults in the life of school age youth?

            From Kindergarten through twelfth grade, the constant adult in a child’s life other than their parents is a teacher.  In an average school year, a teacher will spend 1,274 hours (182 days x7hrs) with a student.  When we consider the hours over twelve (12) years the number of hours is 15,288 (182 days x 7hrs x 12 yrs), that is a lot of time school age youth spend with teachers.  This brings me to the next part of the verse, the reason behind the call for teachers to “teach a new way.”

            By asking teachers to “teach a new way,” the song speaks to the problem that teaching has become a stagnant entity which has compromised a student’s ability to become an active participant in the educational process.  Evidence of this appears in the next verse: “maybe then they’ll listen to what you have to say.” This verse implies that the results of stagnant teaching manifests themselves in students’ tuning certain teachers out or total disengagement from the educational process. 

            The final two verses remind us the influence teachers have on pathways to adulthood students’ may take.  The verses imply that teachers hold the key to the future success or failure of students’.  Students engaged in school are more likely to become successful adults.  The opposite, disengaged students are likely to struggle in their adulthood.  This is the reason for the verse “teaching them the very best you can.”

            Teachers are the adults who plant the seeds, cultivate and nourish our children’s educational growth from kindergarten through twelfth grade.  However stagnant teaching will not produce the kind of adults we need to keep our country strong.

It’s time to wake up change the way we teach our children

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[i] Wake Up Everybody by Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes

Helping Young Adults to find their Great Cause

There are many in our country who appear to have given up on our young adults.  As more young adults are taking “care” of themselves due to the lack or relaxed parenting, it has been argued this generation may be the first generation not to succeed their parents. 

Proponents of this belief, point to data that show young adults scored lower on reading, math and science test scores than the previous generations.  Proponents also point to what appears to be a lack of “moral compass” where young adults are portrayed as having a “me first” attitude where the strong prey on the weak and excess (sex, drugs, material consumption.) is the norm.  More importantly, young adults seem not to conform to the social filters of previous generations.

While there are some who have bought into the negative portrayals of young adults, we must not make the mistake of generalizing that all young adults fit this negative portrayal.  We must also remember that as individuals who were once young adults, we had to find our way and navigate through trial and error to become the adults we are today.  However, what appears to separate this generation from previous generations is the absence of a “great cause” to rally and provide young adults with a purpose.

As a young adult in the mid 1980’s fighting for social justice was the “great cause.”  Growing up, there was the movement to divest from South Africa due to Apartheid, there was the Tawana Brawley and sub-way shooting incidents in New York, and the emerging AIDS epidemic.  I participated in a protest against the State flag of Georgia having a Confederate Flag on it, and I participated in a “sit in” at Emory University in support of increasing student diversity and multicultural studies. 

Today’s generation does not have a great cause.  Although racism is still prevalent, many young adults view racism in the lens of the Civil Rights era of segregation and Jim Crow.  The AIDS epidemic is not the terminal illness what it once was and there are some young adults who think AIDS has been eradicated.  The absence of a great cause has left many young adults without a purpose. 

It is time for the adults of this generation to help the young adults find their great cause.  Technology can be one avenue where young adults can rally and find their great cause.  With technology being imbedded in the culture of young adults, causes such as health care, closing the technology gap, and education are areas that young adults can begin to work for change.  Other avenues young adults can find their great cause is in social justice, global warming and eradicating hunger and poverty. 

To those who fear this generation of young adults will not succeed, don’t just talk about it, do something by helping them find their great cause.  By helping young adults, we are helping to make our country and the world a better place for the next generation of young adults.  

The Art of Permanent Underemployment

                There is a growing problem that is being ignored; teenagers and tattoos.  At an alarming rate more teenagers are getting tattoos.  What is concerning is teenagers are getting tattoos on their hands, the side of their necks ,their forearms and in some instances their face, areas on the body which are hard to cover up with clothing.  

                What is equally concerning is teenagers are getting tattoos prior to their 18^th birthday.  Unless they are given permission by a parent/guardian, a tattoo artists is not allowed to serve minors.  However, with the number of teenagers that have tattoos, one has to consider if teenagers are receiving tattoos illegally.  If teenagers are receiving tattoos illegally, the question becomes are teenagers being informed about the permanency of tattoos?  Are teenagers being informed that the tattoos they get as a teenager will be with them their adult life?  Do these teenagers understand the tattoos that reflect the popular culture of their time or their neighborhood affiliations will remain with them and become part of how they are perceived by rest of society?

Secondly, are teenagers who are getting tattoos informed about the sanitary and health protocols (use of new needles, sterilized work area, etc) during and after receiving a tattoo?  Without being informed, a teenager could catch a disease such as hepatitis or an infection.

Lastly, are teenagers being informed about the potential consequences to future employment opportunities due to the type(s) of tattoo they choose and where the tattoo is located?  When seeking employment, what the tattoo is and where a tattoo is located could cause an employer not to consider the teenage applicant as a viable candidate, especially if the position is in customer service.  As the “face” of the company, customer service employees work directly with the customers.  For teenagers with tattoos that can be seen by the customer, it may not be in the best interest of the company to hire them because of the negative perception tied to teenagers with tattoos.  

With the exception of the food service industry and some retail stores, most customer service oriented companies place heavy emphasize on appearance, personality and aptitude.  However, if the teenager doesn’t have the “right “appearance due to visible tattoos, it may not matter if the teenager has the personality or aptitude.  It is the negative perception by employers that may follow some teenager into adulthood. If this occurs, some teenagers may find themselves severely underemployed for the rest of their lives.

The consequences of underemployment from teenage to adulthood could severely hamper their overall earnings potential to access the American Dream.  The inability to buy a home or live independent from parents, the inability to build a savings, the inability to provide for a family are just some of the things that could occur due to the inability to earn a decent wage just because of visible tattoos. 

As a person who has a couple of “tats,” I got mine in my twenties, when I was mature enough to research the advantages and disadvantages of getting a tattoo.  I also spoke to individuals who have tattoos, and I spoke with a tattoo artist about health and sanitary protocols.  More importantly, I didn’t get my tattoos when it was fashionable and “everybody” was getting one to be popular or emulate an entertainer or sports figure.  My tattoos are strategically placed so my employer cannot see them, in fact my employer doesn’t even know I have them, which is the way it should be.  Unfortunately, many teenagers do not have the benefit of this wisdom and they may find themselves permanently underemployed for the rest of their lives because of an uninformed decision to get a tattoo.

The Atlanta Testing Scandal: Does the Punishment fit the Crime?

            In what is possibly the most infamous case of testing fraud by a public school district has now garnered even more attention.  The former Superintendent of the Atlanta Public Schools, Dr. Beverly Hall and 34 other former school teachers, administrators, and testing coordinators were indicted on charges of racketeering, making false statements, and theft.  However, what is more surprising is that the indicted were given a one million dollar bond and if found guilty, they could face multiple decades in prison.

            The question has to be asked does this alleged crime of testing fraud warrant a one million dollar (seven million for Dr. Hall) bond and possible multiple decades of time in prison?  When you compare the number of individuals who have committed crimes such as robbery, murder, or distribution of drugs, many have gotten significantly less bail and less prison time depending on the nature and number of previous offenses.  However, the superintendent and those indicted are treated like they are high profile criminals who may “flee” the country to a non-extradition country.

            The indicted individuals are not multiple offenders, they are not individuals who society must fear, they are individuals who like a majority of Americans are over-worked, under-paid mothers and fathers, who until this recent lapse in judgment were like most Americans unknown.  Does their mistake in judgment warrant this kind of punishment?

            I have no relationship with any of these individuals, however, when comparing their alleged crime of testing fraud with nameless individuals and groups in the banking and finance industry and the consequences they received, hefty fines, does this seem fair?  These nameless individual and groups who intentionally defrauded the American consumer and consumers world-wide by falsifying accounting records to cover up record losses were not threatened with decades of prison time.  None of the CEO’s were indicted or given one million dollars bail; however the former Superintendent Dr. Hall has been treated differently.

            What about the corporations who intentionally gave mortgage loans to unqualified borrowers?  There were a number of corporations who were found guilty of misleading consumers and fraudulent practices.  Their consequences for their criminal actions a hefty fine and they are allowed to continue their business.  Lastly, what about all the celebrities who break the law by driving drunk, being caught with drugs, assault and other violations, their consequence; probation.  Does anyone see a pattern here?

           Again, I do have not relationship with the former superintendent or any of the individuals who were indicted.  I believe, they should loose their educational credentials, payback any monies obtained due to the fraud with interest and be given between 2-5 years probation.  Sentencing these individuals in jail serves no great justice to rectify their alleged wrongdoing.  Furthermore, it will be hard for these individuals to find a job, because 1) they will have a criminal record which they will have to disclose on every application and interview and 2) due to the nature of the alleged testing fraud and national media attention, most employers will not want the potential negative press that will follow these individuals if they are hired. 

Isn’t this punishment enough?

Apprenticeship High Schoosl

            What if the purpose of high school changed from a place where students follow a prescribed curriculum, take electives that help broaden or enhance their interest, and socialize?  What if high schools were transformed into something more?

 

            What if high schools were transformed into an academically based apprenticeship program?  Changing high schools from its current format of a tiered platform of college prep and general education is antiquated and does not provide the academic or workforce skills students will need to succeed in higher education or in a global economy.  However, transforming high schools into an academically based apprenticeship will provide students with the skills to succeed in both higher education and the global economy.

 

One of the first concerns some will have with this concept is this is another form of tracking.  Opponent of tracking will claim that students’ (mainly minorities) from economically distressed communities, students with disabilities and English language learners will be placed in certain programs that are “less vigorous” than the others.  However, this would not be the case.  Academically based apprenticeship high schools would focus on the Core curriculum with emphasis on applications in higher education and the global economy.  The apprenticeship program would come at “grade 13.”

 

Academically based apprenticeship high schools would be a 4 year program.  “grade13/Senior year” would be strictly based on training and working on a paid internship with a number of different corporations who are having time finding qualified candidates in areas such as information technology, engineering, and research and development.  This 13^th grade would give students who are interested in pursuing higher education the opportunity to work in the field of their interest prior to applying to college and provide a potential mentor to guide them through the rigors of higher education in their field of choice.  For students who choose to delay higher education, an internship would prepare them for the expectations of an employer, assists them with making the transition from high school to the workforce and provides the employer with an opportunity to mold a young employee.  Additionally, the money students receive from their internships could go to paying a portion of their tuition, or provided them the start up funds to begin their adult lives (renting an apartment, purchasing a car, etc).

 

Lastly, there will some concerns over how an academically based high school will deal with “troubled” youth or students’ with disabilities.  For troubled students, the incentives of obtaining an employable skill and a paid internship that could lead to meaningful employment or the opportunity to attend college may be the impetus to restore their faith and re-engage them in education.  As for students’ with disabilities, modifying the curriculum to meet their needs would be done on an individualized basis without watering down the content. 

 

If we are serious about closing the skills gap, having academically based apprenticeship high schools are one avenue that should be considered.

Building Character in School

            The recent guilty verdict of two Steubenville, Ohio high school football players for the rape of a drunken classmate gained national attention for two disturbing reasons.  The first is an apparent cover up by coaches and other adults who failed to report the incident to law enforcement allegedly to protect the football program.  However, it is the second reason, students videotaping, texting and posting the assault on social media that will be discussed.

            According published reports, several students recorded the assault on their cell phones, posted the assault online and texted and chatted about the assault[i].  To make matters worse, yesterday it was reported that two girls ages 15 and 16 were arrested and charged with aggregated menacing for posting online threats via Twitter and Facebook to kill and do bodily harm to the victim[ii].

            Unfortunately, more and more of these incidents are occurring where high school students are recording and posting criminal acts on social media sites instead of assisting the victims during the incident or providing the recorded information to law enforcement. What is even more disturbing is that on many of these recordings, you hear the crowd encouraging the assault, laughing at the assault and discussing how the person recoding the assault can’t wait to post the recorded assault online.  It’s time for our high schools to step up and help students develop a better value system.

            Character education in schools is highly controversial.  Being primarily debated in elementary and middle school settings, advocates of character education believe it will help young adults become better citizens by instilling moral character which is being lost in our society.  Opponents to character education argue character and moral development should be left to the family and schools should help promote character development through the various clubs and teams sports. 

            Although there are valid arguments on both sides, missing is the lack of remorse or empathy being shown by students who watch and record their peer being assaulted or humiliated and then post them on social media for the world to see. 

I do not believe schools have to teach character education, however, schools should engage in character building. Through clubs, team sports and electives, schools can discuss the ethical dilemma cyber-bullying, sexting, and the recording and posting of inappropriate material on social media have on the victim, the perpetrators and those who witness and do nothing.  Schools can discourage those behaviors by implementing disciplinary procedures that make such violations a violation of school climate and threats to student safety.  Schools could also in cases of team sports forfeit games, suspend players and reinstate them upon meeting certain criteria, and in the case of Steubenville, terminate any coaches involved in the alleged cover up.

If schools can teach sex education, schools can engage in character building.  If schools fail to act, tragedies such as in Steubenville and across the country will only escalate.

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[i] www.cbsnews.com/8301-201_162-57574904/city-backs-growing-steubenville-probe

[ii] www.cbsnews.com/8301-201_162-57575045/tow-charged-with-threats-in-steubenville-rape case

The Sequester Effect on Military Schools

            We have all been told about the havoc the sequester would have on jobs, the economy, the military and to schools.  While this havoc has yet to occur, signs of its affects are beginning to show in an unusual place.

            The elementary and high schools that are housed on US military bases around the world are being threatened with severe budget cuts and other actions that could undermine the quality of education and instruction of children who’s parents work or serve in the military.

            According to a published report, a memo by the Department of Defense Education Activities (DODEA) stated that “schools would consider furlough for up to 30 calendar days or 22 discontinuous work days along with other actions[i].  If mandating furloughs of this magnitude occurs, the quality of education will be severely interrupted.  To make matters worse for children in military schools, it is believed teachers and administrators will be laid off and schools closed.

           There are 126 international schools and 68 US schools around the world.  The Federal Education Association, the union for Defense Department Teachers is concerned the furloughs will cost schools their accreditation, which would jeopardize admission to college.

            We have a tendency to forget the children of the families who work or serve in our military.  We forget as their parents serve, their children indirectly serve as well.  As much as these children move from country to country, the one consistency in their lives should be a place to live and a quality education. 

If there is anything that should not be affected by the sequester, it’s the education of children who’s parents serve or work for the military

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[i] www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/03/12/military-schools-budget-cuts_n_2855772